In this marriage of convenience story, Garrett Song wants to be CEO of his family company, but his grandmother insists that he be married. To be able to choose his own wife and be CEO he must find a wife quickly to keep his grandmother from forcing him into an arranged marriage.

Natalie Sobol wants to be a VP with Hansol, but tragic circumstances mean that she missed her opportunity for an interview for the position. After being at the compnay and knowing she can do the job, she approaches Garrett. Turns out they can both help each other out.

As expected, a mutual attraction grows between Natalie and Garrett as does their relationship. There's a few hurdles for them to get to the HEA and while there weren't really many surprises to this story, I loved reading about the different culture and how that impacted the characters view of their world. They do manage to finally admit their feelings for each other and it's all good.

Overall, an entertaining and quick read.

A review copy was provided by the publisher.

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "Temporary Wife Temptation" by Jayci Lee, Harlequinn Desire, February 2020

Jayci Lee, Author of "Temporary Wife Temptation" has written an entertaining romantic story. The Genres for this novel are Contemporary Fiction, Romance and Fiction. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events.  The author describes her characters as likable, each with their own goals.

The theme is similar to other books that I have read. Both characters need a "fake marriage" for a short time with certain set conditions. Garrett Song is the grandson of a Korean- American family with a successful business. He hopes to be the CEO of this company. Natalie Sobel is head of Public Relations. It is in both of these characters' best interests to find a spouse immediately.

Both feel this arrangement will be a brief one until certain situations are met. They both agree that it will be a "platonic" arrangement, with a few kisses just to make it look real. Of course, you know, there are "sparks" and "fire" between the two, which makes this very difficult.

Needless to say, nothing runs smoothly in a romantic story where there is a fake marriage. Are the characters able to pull this off, and meet their goals? I would recommend this easy to read and predictable story for readers who love contemporary romance.

3.5 stars rounded up
Temporary Wife Temptation was just what I needed on a cold rainy afternoon. I was quickly sucked into the tale of Garret and Natalie who agree on a marriage of convenience. Each character had their own motives and will do anything they can to reach their end goal. This is a really slow burn romance. I'm talking slow and steamy! If you are a fan of those, then this is for you. I enjoyed watching the couple fall for each other even though they fought it with everything they had. I also enjoyed the glimpse into a bit of Korean culture and family dynamics. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the Heirs of Hansol series.

Garrett Song is close to taking over his family's fashion empire when his grandmother tells him that she will announce his engagement to a woman of her choosing at the same time that he is announced as CEO. He rebels against that, claiming that he already has a fiancee, and lands on Natalie Sobol, poised to become the vice president of Human Resources at the company. She needs a fake marriage just as much as he does if she is to formally adopt her niece. While they can agree on a fake marriage, there is a very real attraction between them both.

I was drawn to Temporary Wife Temptation because there are two (!!) Asian main characters on a Harlequin romance novel. It's not something that I had been used to growing up, and I was overjoyed to see that there is a lot more diversity in publishing now. There are some features of this that are purely Asian, in that Garrett's grandmother fully expects him to follow her instructions to the letter because she is his elder, and there are strict hierarchies within the elite Korean families. That's a nuance that might not necessarily be there in modern Caucasian romances, but is still very much alive and well in Asian cultures. It's all explained in the text, so that non-Asian readers will understand the magnitude of Garrett's rebellion and desire to forge his own path.

As with all romcoms, we have the situations that are all but guaranteed to not only showcase how much the two main characters are attracted to each other, but how well they complement each other. They meet with the social worker, Natalie meets Garrett's family, there are work meetings and schmoozing with other company bigwigs to solidify plans for the family company. This being an Asian fashion company, we also have a spa day! Of course, there are obstacles that would push Natalie and Garrett apart, and it would have to force Garrett to understand that living a life in isolation with a closed-off heart isn't one worth living. We have our happily ever after, and I truly am happy for them.

Natalie and Garrett were so good together. Although, they moved fast with their relationship I could feel the chemistry between them. It was hot. Hot enough to light a candle. However, it felt right too. What I mean by this is that sometimes I am not a fan of characters in a story instantly hooking up within the first couple of chapters of a book. It does not feel authentic if not done right. In this case, it was right.

I am Korean. So, I appreciated reading this book. However, I was not raised in the traditional culture so I can not speak to authenticity. Yet, I do imagine the way that Garretts parents and grandmother acted were appropriate. Everyone was so enjoyable to get to know that I really had a good time reading this book. If you are looking to add some spice to your bookshelves and in your life, you should treat yourself to a copy of Temporary Wife Temptation!

When I got an email from Harlequin, asking to join a Blog Tour, I squealed with delight and signed up for a few of the books. I was so excited. I love to read good books and make no effort to disguise my love of romance now that I have gotten older. I enjoy them, they are a quick read and I am able to relax while reading them and not have to worry about strenuous plot lines.

Natalie needs a promotion at work and a miracle from above to contest the adoption of her young niece. Garrett is being forced into an arranged marriage set up by his Grandmother. In a panic, he tells her he already has a fiance. He enlists Natalie to be his fiance giving her in return the stability and promotion that she needs to adopt her niece. I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and steamy in all the right places. It kept my attention and I wanted to find out if they will actually fall in love and actually stay married. Yes, notoriously they will stay together and discover that they love each other but not all the time.

The main characters are also Asian which is something that I don’t see all that often in romances. Not that I am all-knowing when it comes to that, but this is the first one that I have encountered. I could relate to Natalie. Wanting to do what is best for her niece, the pain that she experienced when her niece was injured had me tearing up. I was nervous right along with her. I just wanted to will her niece to be ok. The family dynamics are also relatable you have the meddling sister who wants to help and is in your business. You have the best friend that is like a brother and tells you what he thinks without worrying you will never talk to him again. The one other thing that really bothered me was the Grandmother dynamic with the family. It was her way or the highway. I know what it was a cultural thing but it still bothered me. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books by this author and certainly keeping an eye out for the second book in the series.

I can honestly say that I loved this one - I've never read anything by Jayci Lee, but after experiencing her writing I'll be sure to pick up more. So much of this made me think of kdramas (which are something I love) that I had a great time reading it.

It was so spicy and such a fast read (maybe at some points advancing too fast, but understandably with it's length) that I almost read it all in one sitting. I would definitely say that the characters had depth and each had their ulterior motives for the relationship. I do love a good fake dating trope and this one definitely satisfied that for me. Overall, I would definitely read it again and look forward to reading more of Jayci Lee's writing.

DISCLAIMER: I received an advanced reader copy (eBook) of Temporary Wife Temptation from Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This novel is part of the February 2020 Harlequin Series Blog Tour.

Much more than he bargained for…
“You want me to find you a wife?”
“No. I want you to be my wife.”

Intriguing. Sexy. Classic Harlequin. Those are the words I would use to describe Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee. It was a great introduction to the world of classic Harlequin romance series. The book was everything I think of when I think of a Harlequin romance novel – a hot guy, and a passionate love – scratch that – lust affair. Although, Temporary Wife Temptation was way more than that, which took me by surprise.

Garrett and Natalie were real dimensional characters who were much more than pretty faces. Although, Natalie’s personality definitely outshines Garett’s by far. Natalie Sobel is both smart and sexy. She’s described as a woman who has nerves of steel and knows how to lay down the law. She doesn’t feel the need to sleep her way up to get a promotion. Although by agreeing to Garret’s marriage proposal she will get promoted, that isn’t her incentive. It’s her niece. Marrying a wealthy and successful man will make her look good to help her gain custody of her niece. Even though Natalie’s situation is not ideal, I have mad respect for her. Family first.

I loved the cultural diversity in this book. As well as, learning a little about Korean culture. I liked that the cultural elements were not the main focus of the story, but sprinkled in throughout the book to give the characters a stronger background.

Pulling off a fake marriage sounds like quite a stressful situation on top of everything else, but being married to a hot guy makes things a little easier. There was no denying the chemistry between Garrett and Natalie. To be frank, it was red hot and I believed every word of it. After agreeing to a sexless marriage, it seemed like quite the challenge when Garrett and Natalie have undying sexual attraction and tension to one another. The whole will they or won’t they is a cliché in romance novels that never gets old.

Pretending to have a fake significant other is definitely one of my favorite literary tropes. The topic drew me to the story in the first place, so no complaints here. Although it’s a common literary trope, Jayci Lee added her own spin to the story to make it stand out from the rest.

I give Temporary Wife Temptation 3 out of 5 stars. It was an enjoyable sexy read. The story was both what I expected and didn’t expect from a Harlequin romance novel. Definitely, not a bad thing at all. Temporary Wife Temptation will not be the last Harlequin romance novel I pick up.

Check out my blog to read my full review:
www.candisbarbosa.com/book-review-temporary-wife-temptation-jayci-lee/

4 the perfect power couple stars!!

This is my first book by Jayci Lee and it was rather delightful, I’m not going to lie it started out just a little rocky for me. That may have been because there was no way to get to know these characters individually at first like you would in a full length novel. You get to meet both while they are both meeting each other, and it takes off from there. I know the novel is a bit shorter than most so that might have something to do with it. I love marriage of convince stories, both characters obviously need something out of the marriage and eventually come to realize they have deeper feelings for each other.

Garret and Natalie’s characters weren’t super flawed per se, but they both went into the marriage without knowing one another well. I loved how this spanned weeks and they didn’t jump into the steamy part fast, so they took the time to know one another. Garret’s protectiveness and immediate love for Sophie was heart melting. I adored that Natalie didn’t blame the Davis’s for wanting to have full custody of Sophie, that could’ve been portrayed in such a negative light and the author did so well of portraying a positive multi-level family. I think one of my favorite parts of the book without being to spoiler-y is when Garret busts the door in on “Grandma” and Natalie. It made me laugh really hard.

This is a really quick read about a marriage of convenience. I love reading about marriages of convenience, and this was no exception! I really liked the chemistry between the main characters. It was written well. I also enjoyed the other characters in the story, and getting to know more about Garrett's family. Overall, this is a cute book and I found myself wanting more!

4 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

This was hot, sexy and yet heartwarming marriage of convenience story. I absolutely loved Garrett and Natalie separately and when they were together they were fire. This book is not lying when it says this is a Harlequin Desire book because they way they wanted each other was so intense it was jumping off the page.

Both Garrett and Natalie have strong family bonds that leads them to taking part in this marriage of convenience. Another reason I loved this book so much was the importance that family has in this book. Even though both of them have complicated family relationships they also recognize how important it is for each other to have these relationships.

In addition to the family ties this book also taught me about parts of Korean culture and words. I love when books are able to teach me something (without preaching!) and this book did it seamlessly. I am so impressed that this is the author’s first published work and I am excited to read more from her in the future. Particularly the second book in this series that comes out in September. If you want a glimpse into Natalie and Garret’s sexy and sweet romance then check out the excerpt down below.

Predictable and delicious, Temporary Wife Temptation is everything you want from a Harlequin Desire novel. Natalie needs a promotion and if she could somehow get a husband in the process to help with the adoption of her niece, then all the better. Garrett needs a wife to escape an arranged marriage while keeping his honour. Could Natalie and Garrett be the answer to both their problems?

What follows is predictable but fun and everything I want when I curl up with a quick read romance novel.

Sadly though, this is a book that doesn’t let a little thing like a deep storyline get in the way of a good romance. I loved Natalie and Garrett, but you just didn’t see enough of them. Around a year passes briefly in just a few hundred pages and you were left feeling like everything had been paraphrased.

I would have loved more background and depth to both of their stories and the same goes for the secondary characters. I liked both Mike and Adelaide but just didn’t have any way to get to know them better. As for Grandmother…….she had so much potential as a character that was just never realised. I loved the taste of Korean culture woven into this and I just wish there was more of it.

Now don’t get me wrong. If you want a good solid romance that you can devour in one sitting, then this is a the book for you. There were some really lovely moments in Temporary Wife Temptation. It was easy to read with likeable characters, and it does exactly what is says on the tin. Just don’t expect too much from it and you won’t be disappointed.

I'm a sucker for the fake marriage that turns into a real romance. Garrett knows what is expected of him by his family and he pushes against it all anyway for love. Swoon.

I was recently invited to partner with Harlequin for a series of blog tours and eagerly jumped at the chance. Although very familiar with their lines from a former bookseller standpoint, as a reader I was a bit of a newbie and looked forward to getting some titles under my belt.

Temporary Wife Temptation follows Garrett Song and Natalie Sobol: Garrett is heir to a fashion empire and it’s assumed he will one day step into the role of CEO, Natalie is an employee who spent most of her time in New York but has since returned to LA. Though they have worked closely, because they were on each end of the country they had never met in person…until now. And it isn’t long before Garrett asks for a massive favor: he needs a wife.

Garrett’s grandmother drops a bombshell when she announces the only way he’ll be offered the CEO position is if he’s married. Luckily she already has the perfect bride in mind, one who comes from a very powerful, old Korean family. A tie between the two families can be mutually beneficial. Garrett, however, doesn’t want to be pushed into an arranged marriage. Enter Natalie.

Natalie has her own reasons for accepting the offer: a temporary marriage, just long enough to get Garrett’s grandmother off his back, Natalie only needs to show up to fancy parties, definitely nothing is required of her in the bedroom. Natalie’s sister recently passed in an accident, leaving behind a newborn. Though she begged Natalie on her deathbed to watch over her daughter, the law favored the baby’s grandparents. Since then, Natalie has been doing everything in her power to prove to the social worker she’s fit to be her niece’s guardian, her parent. A loving husband can only aid her case.

Temporary Wife Temptation was an extremely short, quick read, clocking in at just over 200 pages. While this made for a record-time finish, it also led to the story suffering from a lack of substance which is a shame because fake relationships is one of my favorite romance tropes. I never got a chance to really get to know these characters. There were also numerous time jumps – by the end of the book the baby is starting to speak. These would be suddenly inserted into the chapters and were a bit jarring. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by this one!

Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Oh, I like this series! Garrett and Natalie need to get real married...but for pretend. Their marriage won't mean anything, but it will get them both what they need - for Garrett: his rightfully deserved CEO position; for Natalie: custody of her niece. But let's be real...these fake marriages of convenience never work out the way they're supposed to and it isn't long before temptation gets the better of them.

I loved the way these two hard-working, but passionate, people came together. I loved that they fell into this relationship with single-minded focus and then were hit upside the head with love. I really enjoyed this one.

Jayci Lee's Temporary Wife Temptation hits the fake marriage trope with a Korean flavor.   Hero Garrett Song is up for the CEO position of his family's company. It is something that he has worked his own life toward. When his grandmother, and head of the family, decrees that he will marry someone "appropriate" that she has picked out for him, Garrett panics and says he already has a fiance.  Now he has to find one.  Enter Natalie Sobol. Natalie works for the company and is desperate to move up as she wants to adopt her sister's orphaned daughter. When Garrett proposes a fake one year marriage, Natalie takes the deal.

Temporary Wife checks all the trope's marks. Reluctant, work-obsessed man, smart yet desperate woman, overbearing family.  Garrett is the guy who never wanted to marry, denies his attraction to Natalie, finds what he wasn't looking for. Natalie is the woman for whom family is everything and protecting it at all costs is her aim, but falls for the guy, anyway.

At 224 pages this story reads quickly with some time jumps which I wished the author had filled in but overall is a good story.  Solid characters, nice bit of heat, and a HEA.  Just what a romance reader looks for in a one-sitting story.

4 1/2 STARS!

Great characters, a beguiling story line and chemistry galore! With her debut novel TEMPORARY WIFE TEMPTATION, Jayci Lee turns on the feels with the first book in The Heirs of Hansol series with Harlequin Desire. Her cast of characters are not only successful and culturally rich, but also filled with emotional back stories that hook a reader quickly to their plights.

Garrett Song is easy to like from the start. He loves and respects his grandmother, but more than anything, he wants to finally be in charge of the family empire and moving things in the direction he feels will benefit the times the most. He isn't looking to settle down, but when his grandmother names a woman she plans for him to marry, he has to get a little creative to put the ball back into his court.

Natalie Sobol is delightful. She's hardworking, has a softer side when she wants to but takes no gruff when dealing with the business world. She has her own reason for seeing an advantage to becoming Garrett's temporary bride ... but fake becomes all too real when close quarters lead to an attraction too strong to ignore!

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a yummy marriage of convenience story that ends with a beloved happily ever after. I'm looking forward to more to come in the series and especially for more to come from this new author.

I totally enjoyed Natalie and Garrett’s fake relationship story in Temporary Wife Temptation, book 1 in the Heirs of Hansol series by debut author Jayci Lee. Garrett Song is steps away from becoming the CEO of his family’s fashion empire. Then he finds out he needs a fiancée, like yesterday, in order to avoid the arranged marriage his grandmother made. Enter Natalie Sobol who needs a fake spouse just as badly. The major problem was the sizzling chemistry that erupts when they are near one another making them forget all about their hands-off agreement. With these fires burning brightly, one of them is sure to get burned.

Ms. Lee wrote a wonderful, emotional and sexy story that should not be missed. She provided a tale rich with sexual chemistry, family devotion, and endearing characters giving Natalie and Garrett a chance at forever love. I highly recommend Temporary Wife Temptation to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

This has been one of the best harlequin books that I've read! Garrett and Natalie are both strong characters that actually have more depth than the typical harlequin MC's. Natalie is a strong and independent woman of business who is fighting to get custody of her niece and Garrett needs a wife to avoid his grandmother forcing him into an arranged marriage. The Korean cultural context added another layer of depth that is so often missing in most short romance books. I would definitely recommend! 4 out of 5 stars!

One of my favorite books read so far this year. The perfect category romance with well defined characters, compelling storylines and a satisfying love story, exactly what I needed when I needed it. Will definitely read more from Jayci Lee.